ROW – Congo Kasai: June 2009

If a picture is worth a thousand words – what’s a personal visit worth? We visited and saw for ourselves that the women who graduated in December 2008 from the ROW-CK Sewing School for Single Mothers are providing for their families through their sewing. Seventeen of the nineteen are earning a living – so this project would have to be deemed an early success! One member One member of our team, Kat Manier from Nashville, got fired up about the sewing school and raised enough money to ensure each 2009 graduate will receive a sewing machine! Hey — Catch Fire!

Here’s a little more of what we did…

VBS conducted at ROW orphanage in Kinshasa for 25 kids; Village of Lubi II for 40 kids (while more than 100 looked on, listened to the Bible story, and sang the songs taught); Village of Ndesha for 138+ kids. All the kids got pictures either of themselves or with siblings. We printed them with a battery powered printer, and handed them out on the spot to wide grins and much laughter.

Painted for a day on the IMCK hospital in Kananga and our surgeon on the team, Dr. John Kennedy, performed over eleven surgeries at Good Shepherd Hospital in Kananga/Tshikaji and three more in Kinshasa at Dikembe Mutombo’s Hospital.

Toured infant nutrition centers (one we painted last year), the Protestant Printing plant in Kananga, as well as their “pygmy” palm tree project. These little palm trees start producing palm nuts for palm oil in just threeor four years. Toured UPRECO (Presbyterian University of Congo) including their pygmy palm project and pineapple project. Both of these will be revenue producers for the college.

Met with an engineer from a well digging company regarding getting a new pump for the deep well at Lubondai Hospital – getting water for thesepatients is high on our ROW-CK priorities.

Showed the Jesus Film in Tshiluba language in the church at Tshikaji to more than 100 people.

Dr. Mulumba, Secretary General of the Congo Presbyterian Church (CPC), gave us the name of CPC’s selectee, Fidele Illunga, for a Université Protestante au Congo (UPC) medical school scholarship. She will complete her education and then go back to the Kasai for at least two years of service as a doctor.

Construction is progressing on the UPC medical building – footings are being dug and poured, and construction blocks are being made right on the spot. The building will be larger than the UPC economics building.

50th anniversary of UPC will be celebrated in November. Check out plans as they develop on http://www.upcongo.org where some photos from the campus are also posted.